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(No Model.)

J. H. BULLARD. APPARATUS FOR BURNING HYDROGARBONS AS FUEL.

Patented July 23, 1889.

Qwimamo N. PFYERS, PholmLhhoghpher, Washington, CL C UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. BULLARD, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE AERATEDFUEL COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR BURNING HYDROCARBONS AS FUEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 407,638, dated July 23,1889.

Application filed February 6, 1888- Serial No. 263,128. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES H. BULLARD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatusfor Burning Hydrocarbons as Fuel, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to apparatus for to burning hydrocarbons as fuel,the object being to provide an improved hydrocarbonburning system inwhich said hydrocarbons are introduced to the combustion-chamber inconjunction with air under pressure; and the invention consists in thepeculiar construction and arrangement of the below-described operatingdevices, all as hereinafter 'fully described, and pointed out in theclaims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is aperspective view of a portion of a steam boiler having applied theretoand connected therewith apparatus for burning hydrocarbons embodying myimprovements. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of 2 5 the oil-pump, showingthe oil-tank thereonin vertical section.

The within-described improvements relate, principally, to means forcontrolling the oilsupply for hydrocarbon-burners of the class 3 inwhich the hydrocarbon is introduced through said burners to the furnaceor place of combustion in connection with air under pressure, wherebythe supply of the hydrocarbon to the burners is caused to be uniform,and the devices required are very considerably simplified.

In the drawings, A indicates a boiler of the usual locomotive type,having a burner and oil-tank 5 attached to the opposite outer 4 sides ofthe fire-box thereof. Said tanks 5 eachconsist of a hollow cylinder,having connected therewith one or more hydrocarbonburners 17, one end ofwhich extends into openings through the side of the fire-box of theboiler, and the opposite end thereof communicates with an air-space andwith hydrocarbon contained in said tanks, in the manner substantiallyshown and described in my patent, No. 865,789, dated July 5, 1887. A

regulated and constant supply of hydrocarbon is furnished to saidburner-tanks, whereby they are kept partially filled while the saidburners are in operation, by means of an oil-pump B, having aconnection, by means of a suction-pipe 13, with an oil-reservoir 12,said pipe and reservoir being shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The saidoil-reservoir is located, preferably, in the ground in convenientproximity to the oil-pump, in order that it may be supplied by gravityfrom oil-tank cars or from tank-carts. An oil-conducting pipe 10 conveysoil from said pump to the burner-tanks, as shown, said pipe 10 beingrun, preferably, beneath the floor of the boiler-room, as shown, andrising therefrom near the rear side of the fire-box of the boiler, andextending behind said fire-box and having a connection with one end ofeach burner-tank, in the manner shown in Fig. 1. A stop-valve 19 isconnected in the oil-pipe 10 near each burner-tank, in order to providemeans for cutting off the supply of oil thereto at will. The saidoil-pump consists of a steam-cylinder 20, having a connection with theboiler A by the steam-pipe 9 and a pump-cylinder 21, said steam-pumpingdevices being substantially those embodied in the well-known Knowlespump.

Heretofore in hydrocarbon-burnin g systems similar to that herein shownit has been cus- 8o tomary to employ an oil-reservoir (in addition tothe said main reservoir 12) located in or near the boiler-room, intowhich oil is pumped, and from whence it flows by gravity into theburner-tanks, but possessing no automatic means for regulating thesupply of oil to said tanks, whereby it is maintained at a certain leveltherein, said regulated supply being essential to the delivery of auniform quantity of oil to the burners, whereby waste is avoided and auniform fire is produced.

To avoid the inconveniences above enumerated, and to automaticallygovern the action of the oil-pump, so that it shall draw oil as neededand supply the same to said burner- 5 tanks, the below-described devicesare connected with said pump. Suitable vertical supports, as shown, arefixed over said cylinders of the pump, on which is placed an oil-tank 6,into which said pumping-cylinder 21 deliv- IOO ers oil, which is drawnfrom said reservoir 12, and said pipe 10, which conveys oil to theburner-tanks 5, has one end connected with the tank 6. In practice theoil-pump B is so set as to bring the said tank 6 to substantially thesame level as the burner-tanks 5, in order that oil may flow from saidtank 6 to the tanks 5, and that a uniform oil-level may be maintainedtherein, which level is about as shown at a, Fig. 2. Said oil-tank 6 isprovided with a passage through one side thereof, in which is inserted aspindle c, which is capable of a free rocking movement therein, and tothe inner end thereof is secured one end of an arm or lever cl, (seeFig. 2 and the dotted-line indication in Fig. 1,) and to the free end ofsaid lever is fixed a hollow metal sphere as, constituting what iscommonly termed a ballfloat,which is floated on the oil in said tank,

and any variations of the level thereof cause a corresponding movementof said float and a rocking movement of said spindle c, 011 the outerend of which is secured the arm 6.

A regulator-valve 14: is connected in said steam-pipe 9, which suppliessteam for runnin g the oilpump, and to the end of the spindle 15 thereofis secured an arm 0, and the ends of the latter and of said arm 6 areconnected by a link 16, so that the movements of the arm e, induced bythe movements of the float at, are communicated to the arm 0, therebyrocking the spindle of the valve 14, and so regulating the flow of steamto the pump as to cause it to act when oil is required in tank (3 tomaintain the required level thereof in the burner-tanks, and to ceaseacting when the requisite amount of oil is carried into said tank.

The requisite air-supply for the oil-burning apparatus is provided by anair-pump D, of any suitable construction, which may be run by steam fromthe boiler A or by connection with running machinery. In this case theair-pump shown indicates one run by steam supplied thereto by the pipe8, which has one end connected with the steam-cylinder of the pump, andits opposite end is connected with the steam-pipe 7, which is connectedwith said boiler. The air-pumping cylinder 22 of the air-pump isconnectedwith the hollow base 23 of the latter, and an air-conductingpipe 2 leads from said base to and is connected with one of theburner-tanks 5, and a branch 4: (see Fig. 1) leads from said pipe 2 tothe other burner-tank. A branch air-pipe 3 is connected with said pipe2' and with the tank (5 on the oil-pump. Stop-valves .2 are placed insaid pipes 9 and 3, and a like valve .2" is placed in the steam-pipe S.

From the above description it is seen that the hydrocarbon-burningsystem herein referred to consists of a boiler and a furnace; one ormore burner-tanks located near said furnace one or more burners attachedto said tank or tanks and arranged to inject commingled oil and airthereinto; an oil-pump driven by steam, having an oil-tank thereon.

or near the same, having pipe communication with the pumping-cylinder ofsaid pump and with said bu rner-tanks, a ball-float within saidoil-tank, and regulating devices connected therewith, whereby the actionof the oil-pump is governed and the supply of oil for the burners isregulated, and an air-pump having pipe communication with said oil andburner tanks, whereby an equal air-pressure is maintained in all of saidtanks.

The operation of the within-described improved system for burninghydrocarbon for fuel is as follows: There being sufficient steam in theboiler to run the air and the oil pumps, both of the latter are set inoperation by opening the stop-valves in the steam-pipes connectedtherewith, and should the oil in the tank 6 be below the required level,whereby the ball-float 0c is permitted to swing downward and open theregulator-valve 14, the oilpump will start and run until it shall havepumped sufiicient oil from the reservoir 12 to bring the oil in saidtank 6 and in the burnertanks 5 to the proper corresponding level, whensaid ball-float will rise and operate the valve 1-l to shut off thesteam and stop the pump. Meanwhile the air-pump continues to operate,forcing air and oil together from the burner-tanks through the burners17 and through the side walls of the furnace of the boiler, and byplacing any blazing substance into said furnace the atomized hydrocarbontherein becom es lighted, creating an intenselyhot flame, which isindicated in said furnace by h. The equalization of the air-pressure inthe tank 6 and in the burner-tanks by connecting the same to a commonair-supply, as described, causes the oil contained in said. tanks toflow to a common level, and hence when there is a suitable oil-supply intank (3 such supply will invariably be found in the burner-tanks 5; butwhen the oil-level in the tank (5 is drawn below its normal height theoil-pump is caused to be set in motion automatically-by the action ofsaid ball-float and its connected devices, as above set forth.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is 1. An apparatus for securing thecombustion of hydrocarbons for fuel, consisting of a burner-tank and oneor more burners connected therewith and a pipe leading to said tank froman air-compressor, a steam oil-pum p having a pipe for conveying steamthereto and having therein a regulating-valve, an oiltank connected by apipe with said burnertank and located at such a height relative to thatof said burner-tank that a common oillevel may be maintained in each bythe hydrostatic pressure of the oil, and a ball-cock in said oil-tankhaving a connection, as described,with said steam-pipe regulating-valve,substantially as described.

2. Apparatus for burning hydrocarbons for fuel, consisting of one ormore burner-tanks, one or more burners attached to each of said tanks,combined with an oil-pump actuated by steam, having an oil-tankconnected therewith supplied by said pump and connected saidburner-tanks and with said oil-tank, sub- With said burner-tanks by anoil-pipe, a steamstantially as set forth. pipe conveying steam to saidpump, a regulating-valve in said steam-pipe, and a ball- JAMES H.BULLARD. 5 float in said oil-tank having a connection, as WVitnesses:

described, with said regulating-Valve, and an H. A. OHAPIN,

air-pump having air-pipe connections with G. M. CHAMBERLAIN.

